West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Don't have full details but as I understand it Friday and Saturday are all steam.
7828 is on QB Sunday.
6430 booked to work the MD starting diagram all four days.
A Class 33 will work the 11:00 BL and 16:15 MD Sunday and Monday.
All subject to availability of course!

Ian R.

 

Excellent. I'll be using it for sure.

 

My favourite type of vintage bus , I've done many a mile sitting on the back seat whilst on holiday at Burnham on Sea as a child watching the wheels go round and round because the door was open .

 

Really , whatever next ? Standards are really slipping .

 

Thanks Ian.

Also folks might note the times of some trains have been changed (from previously published) for 19. 20, 21, 22 April. One or two trains no longer run. See official website for details ( or wsr.org.uk/times )

Have a great time out on the Minehead Branch this weekend.

Steve

 

First Class work on GWR BCK 6705 from 1938 pictured at Williton this afternoon.

You do feel that Miss Marple and Lucy Eylesbarrow might not be too far away.

I believe the WSSRT need around £2K for the corridor connections to finish the job.

Robin

 

Bit 'optimistic' for the peak departure................

 

The Minehead morning departure is the lightest loaded. The heavy loads come from Bishops Lydeard. Tickets are a 3:1 ratio.

Robin

 

Senior moment..............

I misread it as BL

 

Easy done...

I have only once driven to MD to be signalman when I was rostered at BL.

But to make it more challenging, I was in a 1938 Standard 9...

Robin

 

Isn't that the Flying Standard Nine?
I'll bet you were on time at BL!

 

Fortunately, the Trades Descriptions Act did not exist in 1938. ‘Stan’ is, indeed a ‘Flying 9’ but struggles to get to 45mph. Probably part of the reason I am still alive.

‘Flying’ refers to the raked / streamlined profile in comparison with the more ‘upright’ previous model.

Robin

 

Given that the 1938 RCH figures for the average speed of passenger trains in the UK were between 14 - 18 mph 45mph wasnt bad

 

There was a yawning gap between the general run of pre-war cars and the "special" stuff which is less evident today with normal vehicles being so much better relatively. As an example, the owner of a 12/50 Alvis told me his four seater was still good for 60m.p.h. plus and would see off most of its contemporaries. These cost 2.5 times the amount of a bullnose Morris Cowley with similar engine size,

 

The 9351 blog has been updated:

https://www.wsra.org.uk/category/9351-blog/

And for 'early birds' the WSRA Chairman, Paul Whitehouse is expected to be interviewed on BBC Radio Somerset about 9351 and other fiundraising at approx 07:50 this morning. There is also a 'listen again' facility for those not up quite so early.

Robin

 

As at 1804,

6430 in steam on Williton Webcam

http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-wn2.htm

Headed to Minehead behind Class 33 and 3 carriages. Departed Williton 1816
Next view at Blue Anchor - http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-ba1.htm

1900 and still waiting at Blue Anchor - is the track back ???????

1908 BA crossing gates opened for a few minutes then closed again ……..

Sheer drama folks!

1923 sitting in Blue Anchor station, running wrong line.

1935, next stop Minehead!

 

Blue anchor cam I have been watching and the gates open and close yet no train

 

Gates open again!!! This is more exciting than EastEnders!

 

At about 18:30, the signalman walked off-camera to the right, carrying two fairly heavy objects.
Perhaps they were clips for the switch & catch-point, enabling wrong-line running?
Several folks were sitting on the Down platform bench, gazing expectedly up the line from time to time.
I had to leave my PC at 18:45 & so missed all the excitement!

At 20:31, the pannier is moving from the MD bay.

 

20:54 Crompton and a number of carriages depart Williton on the Down.